British School at Rome: Papers of the British School at Rome (4.1907)

The Goldsmiths of Rome under the Fatal Authority. 171
Goldsmiths in 1563 were no longer in their possession, as they petitioned
for a general Papal excommunication for those unlawfully detaining
their papers and property. During the nineteenth century the copper-
plates containing the marks of the Goldsmiths of Rome were returned to
the Corporation by a private individual who had them.
The church which the Goldsmiths built in Via Giulia was said to have
been designed by Bramante. Whilst it was building the guild met in the
Church of S. Lucia, and this went on till 1517. The Notary at this time
appears to have been named Straballato. His Archives are not in the
Notarial Archives, but may be in the Archivio di Stato at Rome.
By a contract dated October 31, 1602, one Francesco Bernascone,
builder, agreed to rebuild the Church of S. Eligio to the plans of the
architect, Flaminio Ponzi, a Lombard (Bertolotti: Artisti Lombardi, vol. ii,
p. 8). Whilst the church was rebuilding the Goldsmiths met in the
Oratory of the Compagnia di S. Spirito della Nazione Napolitana
(Notary: Emilio Romolini, 1583-1606, fol. 721). In September, 1607
the Goldsmiths were still meeting in the same place (Notary: Luzio
Antamori, 1602-8, fol. 451-572.) In 1608 the Church of S. Eligio was
again available for the meetings of the Goldsmiths (Bertolotti : Artisti
Veneti, p. 70). In 1625 Monsignor Malvasia, President of the Zecca,
authorized the spending of 4,000 scudi on the Church of S. Eligio, then in
ruins. The church still exists, but is no longer used as such. The Cor-
poration of the Goldsmiths of Rome have their headquarters in the
sacristy, and the Archives are kept in a room by the belfry.
In 1628 the Goldsmiths approached Monsu Filippo de Bettune Conte
de Selles, Ambassador of France, with a view to his intercession with the
Bishop of Noyon in order that the Guild might obtain possession of a part
of the relics of S. Eligio. In the same year Giov. Pallotola, silversmith,
made a silver head of S. Eligio, wherein to place the relics obtained from
France. In 1698 Monsu Natale Miglie’t engaged to make six candlesticks
for the Church of S. Eligio. These were completed in the following
year.
In 1517 the Goldsmiths of Rome were exempted from paying shop
and street taxes. This privilege was confirmed in 1575 by Sixtus V. In
renewing the Statutes Gregory XIII granted the Guild the title of ‘ Coliegio
e Nobil Arte,’ placing it under the jurisdiction of the Camera Apostolica.
On November 16, 1557, Giov. Goreri da Corregio, mason, made a